The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-11-12
The Condemned Anarchists

f. +. REMPEL.
The Condemned Anarchists
Louis Lingg, one of the anarch-
lists confined in the Chicago Jail,
committed suicide in his cell on
Thursday morning by blowing his
face to pieces with IL candle load
eel with dynamite and IL fulminat.
ing cap. His face was blown out
of all semblance Of human shape
The violent act was effected with
Il candle loaded with dynamite. He
lit the wick and placed the candle
in his mouth. He lived from 8 u.
m. until 2:l5 p. IN. and remained
conscious to within five minutes OF
his death.
The Governor has commuted
the sentence of Fielden and
Schwab to Imprisonment for lite
in the Penitentiary, but refuses to
interfere in the eases Of the other
men. He made the announcement
by sending his son to the front
door of the executive mansion
where IL score or more of reporters
were waiting, and Informed them
of the Governors decision.
The following is the full text OF
of Gov. Oglesby's opinion in the
case:
TIE STATE OF ILLINOIS,
EXECUTIVE OFFICE, SPRINGFIELD
Nov. l6, 1887.
On the 2 til day of August 1886,
in the Cook county criminal court,
August Spies, Albert Parsons, S
Fielden, Michael Schwab, Adolph
Fischer, George Engle and Louis
Lingg. were found guilty by the
jury and afterward sentenced to be
hanged for the murder of Matthias
J. Degan. An appeal was taken
from such finding and sentenca to
the Supreme Court Of the State.
That court upon hearing and after
mature deliberatiOn, unanimously
affirmed the judgement of the court
below. The case now comes be-
fore me, by petition of the defen-
dants, for consideration as Govern
or of the State, if the letters of AL
bert Parsons, Ad0lph Fischer, G..
Engle and Louis Lingg, demand
ing unconditional release, or as
they express it "Liberty or Death,"
and protesting in the strongest
language against mercy or commu-
tation of sentence pronounced a.
gainst them, can be considered Pc
titions. Pardon, could it be grant
ed, which might imply any guilt
whatever upon the part of either
of them, would not be such q vindi-
cation, as they demand executive
intervention upon the grounds in
sisted upon by the four above nam.
ed persons. 1t could in no proper
sense he deemed an exercise of the
constitutional power to grant re-
prieves, combinations az pard0ns
unless based upon the belief on my
part of their entire innocence of
the crime of which they stand con-
victed. A careful consideration of
the record of the parties, as well as
of alleged and claimed for them
outside of the record, has failed to
produce upon my mind any i'm
preston tending to impeach the
verdict of the jury of the judg-
ment of the trial court or of the
Supreme Court affirming the guilt
of all the parties. Satisfied, there
fore as ! am of their guilt, l am
precluded from considering the
communication OF the sentences OF
Albert Parsons, Adolph Fischer,
George Engle and Louis Lingg to
in the penitentiary,
MS they emphatically declare that
they will not accept such commu-
tation.
Samuel Fielden, Michael Schwab
aud Agust Spies unite In petition
for Executive clemency. Fieldcn
and Schwab, in addition present
separate and supplementary petl-
tinns for tho communication Of their